Multicultural Identity and Natioanl Identity

I found a summary of the speeches at the 2004 NATPA conference on line. The point of view on Paradigm Shift in Taiwan by Dr. Tsiao, a famous Sociologist in Taiwan, concurs with my opinions about the new immigrant society in Taiwan at the 2007 NATPA conference. Here I would like to summarize and extend my point of view.

The first question I raised about new immigrant society at the conference is that the first generation of Chinese immigrants after World War II and their second generation aren’t or won’t be the majority of the new immigrants. Here is the news I read in Feb., 2007. I was able to confirm the percentage of elementary and junior high school students born by women from China in 2004 (about 35%) through on-line statistics provided by the Ministry of Education of Taiwan.

民國一百年 新台灣之子 4個學生就有1位
陳美文

這幾年，台灣適婚男性透過仲介迎娶大陸、印尼、泰國、越南等國籍女性，這些外籍新娘所生的子女人數狂升，成為台灣近幾年備受關注的新興人口，一般通稱為「新台灣之子」。 根據教育部最新統計，國民中小學新台灣之子小人數已經突破八萬人，而且人數每年以廿％的速度在成長。預估九十八學年度，全國國中、小新台灣之子將突破十五萬人，教育部預估到一百年，每四個學生中就有一位是新台灣之子。 值得玩味的是，九十二學年至九十五年，全台國中、小學生人數減少了十二萬人；但同時間新台灣之子人數，卻從三○○四○人成長到八萬多人，足足成長了一．八倍。 以國籍分，目前就讀國中小學的外籍配偶子女，以中國大陸籍約佔三五．九％居冠，其次為印尼籍與越南籍。 就縣市而言，則以台北縣佔六成最多；其次為北市、桃園縣。 (Retrieved from http://news.chinatimes.com/2007Cti/2007Cti-Focus/2007Cti-Focus-Content/0,4518,9602040061+0+0+100659+0,00.html on 2007.2.3)

My point of view is that instead of neglecting political identity of the new immigrants, who were assumed to be the first and second generations of immigrants from China after World War II, the minority of the population, I suggest that the definition of new immigrants should be extended to include the recent immigrants and their children. About ten years later, the recent new immigrants will constitute at least one quarter of the Taiwan's population between the age of 16 and 24. National identity of the new immigrants should be taken into consideration in the movement of the solidarity of Taiwan's national identity.

The second point of view I raised at the conference is about the reconstruction of cultural identity. I concur with Dr. Tsiao’s views of multicultural Taiwan. That is the fact and the trend in Taiwan's society. The development of cultural identity is related to life experience and early school and family socialization. I strongly agree with the movement of (new) Taiwanese culture and language, which will help new generations establish their Taiwanese cultural identity at early age and will help older generations clarify the ambiguity of cultural identities they have had. On the other hand, the views of multicultural Taiwan do not contradict the movement of (new) Taiwanese culture and language. The views of multicultural Taiwan accept cultural identities of citizens, which have been formed in their own life histories. Regardless their status, being first or second generation of China immigrants, Taiwanese, other ethnic groups, or the recent immigrants and their children, their cultural identities are likely to be firmly connected with their early experience in life. Therefore, I doubt that the movement of (new) Taiwanese culture and language is going to totally convert people’s cultural identities that are strongly linked with their own past life histories, if their cultural identities are deviant from Taiwanese culture and language. I don’t doubt that cultural identity is possible to be modified in later life, and social movement such as the movement of (new) Taiwanese culture and language could play a role. However, modification of cultural identity involves the process of self-negotiation between old and new identities. Self-negotiation of identities is difficult in a society in which different cultural identities oppose one another. In such kind of society, because choosing an opposite cultural identity is similar to deny one’s early life experience, it is very likely that certain percentage of people will object to involve themselves in the process of identity negotiation and feel angry being denied their own early life experience (or cultural identity).

Moreover, the historical fact is that many people in Taiwan are exposed to more than one culture. They speak Taiwanese or Mandarin at home or with their friends, received Chinese education at school, and under globalization and spread of media and internet, have been exposed to western culture. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the movement of (new) Taiwanese culture and language, the movement needs to incorporate multicultural dimension so that people could relate their real experience to the movement and learn how to reorient themselves.

My third point of view is that it is important to distinguish between cultural identity and national identity especially in a multicultural society. In such a society, equation of national identity (a political identity) with a single cultural heritage is counter-productive as people with a different cultural identity are denied their relationship with the national political identity. Disconnection of people from the mainstream national political identity will definitely harm the movement of the solidarity of national political identity. In Taiwan, there is still a lack of articulation or understanding about the difference and the relationship between Taiwan's national political identity and Taiwanese cultural identity.